German prisoner rapes jail’s psychologist

Straubing (Germany), April 8 (DPA) A convicted sex offender took a prison’s chief psychologist hostage in Germany and allegedly repeatedly raped her before surrendering to police early Wednesday, Bavarian officials said. The state’s justice minister, Beate Merk, said the police were still investigating how the 51-year-old prisoner, who had faced his first sex charges at the age of 13, had obtained a knife and managed to tie up the woman in her office Tuesday evening.

He surrendered several hours later after armed police surrounded the prison at Straubing, near Munich.

Merk said the victim, 49, was severely traumatized by the ordeal. The offender, who has spent a total of 30 years behind bars, has been serving a life term since 1985 for a sex-murder.